Brake fluid change quote

OpenToSuggestions · 6 Jul 2011 at 16:20

Hey all.

Brake fluid has never been done on an X reg micra.

Quotes (inc. VAT) are:

£50
£36
£38.50
£20

Is the £20 too cheap? I realise it will be difficult to see if they actually have changed it properly. I bet a garage would only spend £4-5 on the fluid itself.

Brookert · 6 Jul 2011 at 16:46

will be watching this thread, my car is of similar age and probably needs it done

OpenToSuggestions · 6 Jul 2011 at 16:49

Brookert said:
will be watching this thread, my car is of similar age and probably needs it done

It needed to be done 5 years ago

. I have left mine far too long.

Gaijin · 6 Jul 2011 at 16:52

It's not a terribly difficult process and they won't be using mentally expensive fluid on a micra.

Realistically if they don't "change it properly" you'd notice degradation in braking performance and/or spongey pedal feel. Bottom line it would be fairly obvious to them to the point they wouldn't hand it back.

£20 does seem cheap, but they are probably so used to it that they can do it in minutes.

mejinks · 6 Jul 2011 at 19:25

For £20, they will be sucking out the reserviour and just putting some cheap stuff in. Not bleeding, not flushing, just empty and top up.

OpenToSuggestions · 6 Jul 2011 at 19:27

mejinks said:
For £20, they will be sucking out the reserviour and just putting some cheap stuff in. Not bleeding, not flushing, just empty and top up.

That was what I was thinking. I need the whole fluid changing as it has been in there for 10.5 years.

mejinks · 6 Jul 2011 at 19:31

Best way I have seen it being done is to open the cap, put on 4 poster and then draw the fluid out using the bleed nipple and a gun attached to the air hose. Then flush, bleed and fill up.

OpenToSuggestions · 6 Jul 2011 at 19:36

mejinks said:
Best way I have seen it being done is to open the cap, put on 4 poster and then draw the fluid out using the bleed nipple and a gun attached to the air hose. Then flush, bleed and fill up.

The eezilbeed kit is near £20 and 1litre of fluid is £8 so I just thought I would get a garage to do it for me as I will only ever do it the once.

I would rather spend £10-20 more and get it done right without me making a mess everywhere

.

Dr House · 6 Jul 2011 at 20:29

bmw charged me 78 pounds to do this a few weeks ago

andy_mk3 · 6 Jul 2011 at 20:39

Kwik Fit charge £30 for it. They should do a good job of it too, I should know, I'm on one of their brakes courses all this week

They're really cracking down on the cowboys they employ

Dr. Pain · 6 Jul 2011 at 20:41

Dr House said:
bmw charged me 78 pounds to do this a few weeks ago

lol

what a rip off. Still its 30mins/1hr labour charge pretty much.

Surely its included in a standard BMW service?

Dr House · 6 Jul 2011 at 21:13

Dr. Pain said:
lol

what a rip off. Still its 30mins/1hr labour charge pretty much.

Surely its included in a standard BMW service?

you would think so but its not. I had the car serviced and then had to go back a couple of months later to do the brake fluid

aproctor · 6 Jul 2011 at 22:05

With the right gear, it is a 30 minute job (tops) and fluid will cost them a couple of quid.

There is a garage near me who charge £25 per hour.

£78 is just greedy.

OpenToSuggestions · 6 Jul 2011 at 22:08

Can others (aside from mejinks) also confirm that for £20 the system will not be bled.

aproctor · 6 Jul 2011 at 22:15

mglover070588 said:
Can others (aside from mejinks) also confirm that for £20 the system will not be bled.

Of course it will be bled.

If in doubt, ask them. Seriously it would be as much effort to dump the fluid as it would be for bleed it with a speed bleeder.

4 nipples,
loosen off one by one and bleed in order by pushing the brake pedal,
Keep topping up fluid (making sure the reservoir is being topped up)
When one is done, move to the next.

OpenToSuggestions · 6 Jul 2011 at 22:18

I must admit I am a car garage noob. All I have used garages for aside from MOT's is get the window winder fixed!

Gaygle · 6 Jul 2011 at 22:20

A good old boy in a small indepedent charged me £28 for this a couple of years ago. I thnk £35 is a fair price.

dalin80 · 6 Jul 2011 at 22:20

Typically about £30-£35.

Also of note is that antifreeze changes are often due at the same time as brake fluid changes if it hasn't been done before.

OpenToSuggestions · 7 Jul 2011 at 01:13

dalin80 said:
Also of note is that antifreeze changes are often due at the same time as brake fluid changes if it hasn't been done before.

Did that last year

. The only things I have never done myself or got a garage to do are the power steering fluid, the brake fluid, the gearbox oil or the rear (drum) brakes.

Batf1nk · 7 Jul 2011 at 02:13

andy_mk3 said:
Kwik Fit charge £30 for it. They should do a good job of it too, I should know, I'm on one of their brakes courses all this week They're really cracking down on the cowboys they employ

Slightly OT but kwik fit are a bunch of cowboys/rip off merchants in my experience. They failed a friends tigra MOT on worn discs, corroded rear spring, leaking rear shocks. Quoted £600 to fix it!! And to top it off, the spring had slightly flakey paint (the actual spring was fine) and the shocks had the minutest amount of oil on the shock body but operated fine.

Edit. To summarise, avoid kwik fit and go to a recommended local independent garage.